Qantas non-stop PER to LHR?
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Qantas PR in trumpeting 'game changing', self flagellation rarely mention Air New Zealand.
Rob Fyfe had the ear of the staff and delivered things Qantas could only dream of, hence their failure to ever compare to Air New Zealand.
My hunch is that a myriad of practical reality will plague the Perth -Heathrow sector. From weather to payload, DVT and lack leg room and other to less obvious things: Like how close to 20 hours will the TOD be? Practically speaking, do Qantas position a standby crew elsewhere in Europe to cover alternate requirements as the crews hit mandatory 'game stopping' crew limits, for reasons of weather en route or at destination.
Rather like abandoning DXB, returning to Singapore is promoted as some sort of victory, conveniently ignoring the reality that five years ago, Qantas operated through Singapore twice daily to London. It also then had a Bangkok service and a Hong Kong Service. Replacing the A388 with a B789 drops the CASK and offer yield improvement potential, but to achieve that the service must be reliable!
The magic eight balls suspects that the service will quietly be reduced to a few times a week in the warmer months, where the sector can be actually flown to destination. Then all of the QF flying to London will be switched back to Singapore. A random walk of stupidity, having surrendered capacity and opportunity to their peers.
Air New Zealand on the route is great, if even just to wind up Qantas!
Rob Fyfe had the ear of the staff and delivered things Qantas could only dream of, hence their failure to ever compare to Air New Zealand.
My hunch is that a myriad of practical reality will plague the Perth -Heathrow sector. From weather to payload, DVT and lack leg room and other to less obvious things: Like how close to 20 hours will the TOD be? Practically speaking, do Qantas position a standby crew elsewhere in Europe to cover alternate requirements as the crews hit mandatory 'game stopping' crew limits, for reasons of weather en route or at destination.
Rather like abandoning DXB, returning to Singapore is promoted as some sort of victory, conveniently ignoring the reality that five years ago, Qantas operated through Singapore twice daily to London. It also then had a Bangkok service and a Hong Kong Service. Replacing the A388 with a B789 drops the CASK and offer yield improvement potential, but to achieve that the service must be reliable!
The magic eight balls suspects that the service will quietly be reduced to a few times a week in the warmer months, where the sector can be actually flown to destination. Then all of the QF flying to London will be switched back to Singapore. A random walk of stupidity, having surrendered capacity and opportunity to their peers.
Air New Zealand on the route is great, if even just to wind up Qantas!
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If that turns out to be the case, the next obvious move is pip QF to the post to claim first prize in the PR stakes... "incandescent with rage" comes to mind if they manage to pull it off.
They are looking to get a 22 hour TOD from CASA for this service.
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They are looking to get a 22 hour TOD from CASA for this service.
Naturally, the union and other stakeholders will be heavily engaged in the application to CASA/sarc
Forgetting regulatory capture in an ideal world, the modelling would have included a comprehensive study before the PR machine spun into action!
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Of course CASA would demand 'science' to support a 'commercial decision' to extend operational tours without augmented crews outside established legislative limits...
'Qantas is seeking volunteers from its frequent flyer membership to don some wearable technology during their travels as part of efforts to learn more about the impact of long-haul travel on the passenger experience.
The isn't much scientific sampling going on. A bunch of frequent flyers could under no circumstances be considered a 'randomised sample, drawn from the population. In the interests of scientific method do crews get this 'wearable technology' to assess their fatigue with such a proposed TOD?
Surely AIPA demanded a study of such 'scientific method' include their members? / sarc
You can rest assured having kicked the can down the road on CAO48.1, due 'commercial pressures' the Australian airlines will face to crew the new regulations CASA is vigilant and focused on looking the other way!
'Qantas is seeking volunteers from its frequent flyer membership to don some wearable technology during their travels as part of efforts to learn more about the impact of long-haul travel on the passenger experience.
The isn't much scientific sampling going on. A bunch of frequent flyers could under no circumstances be considered a 'randomised sample, drawn from the population. In the interests of scientific method do crews get this 'wearable technology' to assess their fatigue with such a proposed TOD?
Surely AIPA demanded a study of such 'scientific method' include their members? / sarc
You can rest assured having kicked the can down the road on CAO48.1, due 'commercial pressures' the Australian airlines will face to crew the new regulations CASA is vigilant and focused on looking the other way!
They could lease one of QFs 
I don't see why QF couldn't re-start an Asian hub to LHR and other European destinations
They have flights into Hong Kong from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane all arriving within 1 hour as it is, although HK is slot restrained
Perhaps they could look at timing Singapore flights the same way
Sydney a380 and on to London
Melbourne a380 and on to London
Brisbane 747 / a380 stop and return
Adelaide 787 and on to Amsterdam
Perth a330 and on to Delhi
Canberra 787 and on to Paris
Gold Coast a330 stop and return
They have flights into Hong Kong from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane all arriving within 1 hour as it is, although HK is slot restrained
Perhaps they could look at timing Singapore flights the same way
Sydney a380 and on to London
Melbourne a380 and on to London
Brisbane 747 / a380 stop and return
Adelaide 787 and on to Amsterdam
Perth a330 and on to Delhi
Canberra 787 and on to Paris
Gold Coast a330 stop and return
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Yes Dean,
They can!
It was called the 'Kangaroo route'
Sure the PR team can come up with another game changing trademark, in the interim those 'investments' in Asia are a drag against the balance sheet. Just like Quantitative Easing; unwinding that mess is fraught with problems!
Much easier to sell an aircraft with MSN (build numbers) in the 600's as 'game changing' and hope no one notices that the route is likely marginal, the seating density too tight and that Singapore a well established hub for oh about 50 years offers a far more comfortable routing to Europe.
They can!
It was called the 'Kangaroo route'
Sure the PR team can come up with another game changing trademark, in the interim those 'investments' in Asia are a drag against the balance sheet. Just like Quantitative Easing; unwinding that mess is fraught with problems!
Much easier to sell an aircraft with MSN (build numbers) in the 600's as 'game changing' and hope no one notices that the route is likely marginal, the seating density too tight and that Singapore a well established hub for oh about 50 years offers a far more comfortable routing to Europe.
My hunch is that a myriad of practical reality will plague the Perth -Heathrow sector.
Another puff piece by GT. I do hope that they sanitise the cabin after his visit, it reads as if he came over all emotional..
https://thewest.com.au/business/aviation/inside-qantas-high-tech-boeing-787-9-perth-to-london-plane-ng-b88630921z
https://thewest.com.au/business/aviation/inside-qantas-high-tech-boeing-787-9-perth-to-london-plane-ng-b88630921z
Any anecdotal reports on booking trends for PER-LHR non-stop yet? A flight of this duration would be my idea of purgatory and I enjoy flying. I'd choose a stopper every time over this, let alone pay a premium for it. Am I in a tiny minority choosing to avoid the DVT special?
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Any anecdotal reports on booking trends for PER-LHR non-stop yet? A flight of this duration would be my idea of purgatory and I enjoy flying. I'd choose a stopper every time over this, let alone pay a premium for it. Am I in a tiny minority choosing to avoid the DVT special?
I did DFW to BNE twice a few years back. Just under 16 hours to crawl off and home to my own bed. Can’t imagine arriving in London to start a holiday after a 20 hour flight...
Dreamliners need to prove their worth before Qantas orders more
Qantas chief Alan Joyce says the airline will need to see further improvement in its international business before it can justify ordering more Boeing Dreamliners.
The first of eight 787-9 Dreamliners it has on order landed in Australia earlier this month, but Mr Joyce on Friday said shareholders expected the "game-changing" aircraft to prove their worth.
His comments came Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford on Friday defended his chief executive's bumper $25 million pay packet in 2017, which was bolstered by shares Mr Joyce was issued three years ago and which vested after his successful execution of the airline's $2 billion turnaround plan.
"It was the quadrupling of the share price that determined the full amount – now I think that's an excellent outcome for the shareholders," Mr Clifford said.
The company's remuneration reported was voted up by an overwhelming majority, as was the election of Wesfarmers' outgoing CEO and AFL chairman Richard Goyder to the airline's board.
Qantas has purchase rights and options on 45 more Dreamliners, which will come up over the next three years.
The light-weight, long-haul aircraft will initially serve the Melbourne-Los Angeles, and new non-stop Perth-London routes, and allow Qantas to retire five of its ageing 747-400s.
International remains one of the toughest areas of Qantas' business, even as the group's financial fortunes have recovered in recent years.
International delivered a $327 million underlying profit last financial year - an improvement from a $497 million loss in 2014, but still less than the airlines' domestic operations, its low-cost carrier Jetstar and loyalty businesses.
Mr Joyce said while international competition would heat up in the second half of this financial year, he expected a "significant" improvement in the business in 2019.
"That then gives us the permission to invest more capital into those aircraft and grow the network," he told investors at the airline's annual general meeting in Melbourne on Friday.
"We have a commitment to making sure we do pace our capital expenditure, and for us, that capital expenditure has to fit in to the returns the business is making.
"All things being equal, if we continue this fantastic performance … we will be able to afford more 787s, more replacement of our domestic fleet and aircraft."
Mr Joyce said Qantas had been talking to Boeing about its mooted twin-aisle "middle of the market" aircraft as a replacement for Qantas' workhorse 737 domestic jets.
However, he said replacing its domestic fleet would not happen until the completion of Project Sunrise, its plan to fly non-stop from Australia's east coast to New York or London, which is not expected until 2022.
On Thursday, Qantas revealed its revenue had risen 5.1 per cent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, but warned fuel costs and international competition would crimp earnings growth in the second half.
Despite this, UBS analyst Simon Mitchell said Qantas was on track to deliver its highest profit before tax of $1.55 billion, up from $1.4 billion last year and its record $1.53 billion in 2016.
Qantas' shares fell 5.5 per cent on Friday to close at $5.96 following its warnings of a softer second half. The stock has more than doubled in value over the past year.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce says the airline will need to see further improvement in its international business before it can justify ordering more Boeing Dreamliners.
The first of eight 787-9 Dreamliners it has on order landed in Australia earlier this month, but Mr Joyce on Friday said shareholders expected the "game-changing" aircraft to prove their worth.
His comments came Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford on Friday defended his chief executive's bumper $25 million pay packet in 2017, which was bolstered by shares Mr Joyce was issued three years ago and which vested after his successful execution of the airline's $2 billion turnaround plan.
"It was the quadrupling of the share price that determined the full amount – now I think that's an excellent outcome for the shareholders," Mr Clifford said.
The company's remuneration reported was voted up by an overwhelming majority, as was the election of Wesfarmers' outgoing CEO and AFL chairman Richard Goyder to the airline's board.
Qantas has purchase rights and options on 45 more Dreamliners, which will come up over the next three years.
The light-weight, long-haul aircraft will initially serve the Melbourne-Los Angeles, and new non-stop Perth-London routes, and allow Qantas to retire five of its ageing 747-400s.
International remains one of the toughest areas of Qantas' business, even as the group's financial fortunes have recovered in recent years.
International delivered a $327 million underlying profit last financial year - an improvement from a $497 million loss in 2014, but still less than the airlines' domestic operations, its low-cost carrier Jetstar and loyalty businesses.
Mr Joyce said while international competition would heat up in the second half of this financial year, he expected a "significant" improvement in the business in 2019.
"That then gives us the permission to invest more capital into those aircraft and grow the network," he told investors at the airline's annual general meeting in Melbourne on Friday.
"We have a commitment to making sure we do pace our capital expenditure, and for us, that capital expenditure has to fit in to the returns the business is making.
"All things being equal, if we continue this fantastic performance … we will be able to afford more 787s, more replacement of our domestic fleet and aircraft."
Mr Joyce said Qantas had been talking to Boeing about its mooted twin-aisle "middle of the market" aircraft as a replacement for Qantas' workhorse 737 domestic jets.
However, he said replacing its domestic fleet would not happen until the completion of Project Sunrise, its plan to fly non-stop from Australia's east coast to New York or London, which is not expected until 2022.
On Thursday, Qantas revealed its revenue had risen 5.1 per cent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, but warned fuel costs and international competition would crimp earnings growth in the second half.
Despite this, UBS analyst Simon Mitchell said Qantas was on track to deliver its highest profit before tax of $1.55 billion, up from $1.4 billion last year and its record $1.53 billion in 2016.
Qantas' shares fell 5.5 per cent on Friday to close at $5.96 following its warnings of a softer second half. The stock has more than doubled in value over the past year.